Credit: 20th Century StudiosThe upcoming Buffy revival broke the internet last week when it was announced, per Deadline, that Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (2024) actress Ryan Kiera Armstrong would be playing the series’ brand-new Slayer.
Armstrong, 15, is the second cast member to be announced, following original star Sarah Michelle Gellar, who’ll be reprising her role as Buffy Summers, having played her in all seven seasons of the series between 1997–2003.
Also an executive producer on the show, Gellar, 48, shared a video of her breaking the news to a stunned Armstrong on Instagram last Thursday. Watch it below:
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“How do you feel about helping me save the world?” asks Gellar, “You wanna be my Chosen One?” A teary and overjoyed Armstrong accepts the challenge, before her predecessor drops a cryptic detail, saying, “Welcome to new Sunnydale.”
Sunnydale, the Hellmouth-ridden home of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was left in ruins in the show’s explosive finale. Now, it seems the town has been rebuilt; the perfect opportunity for those good-for-nothing bloodsuckers to re-emerge and wreak havoc once again.
But where there are vampires, there’s a Slayer. In the Buffy revival, it sounds like there are two, as Gellar also says in the video, “Will you stand by my side and save the world?”, adding, “I am so excited to stand by your side and have you be my partner on this journey.”
“From the moment I saw Ryan’s audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side,” Gellar said in a statement. “To have that kind of emotional intelligence, and talent, at such a young age is truly gift. The bonus is that her smile lights up even the darkest room.”
Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, who are onboard as writers and executive producers, added: “We are so overjoyed to have found this generation’s slayer in Ryan Kiera Armstrong. She absolutely blew us away — there is no question in our mind that she is the chosen one.”
Previously, it was rumored that Gellar would only be returning in a limited capacity. However, she implies in this video that she’ll be taking on the role of mentor and partner; training and teaming up with a younger Slayer to protect Sunnydale and the world.
Armstrong’s character, the show’s unnamed new Vampire Slayer, is described in the casting materials as an “introverted high school student.”
Plot details remain under wraps and no other cast members have been confirmed.
Sarah Michelle Gellar recently told Us Weekly that several children of her co-stars from the original series have auditioned for the revival.
Related: ‘Buffy’ Reboot Will Focus On LGBTQ Characters, Says Sarah Michelle Gellar
Hulu’s Buffy pilot will be directed by two-time Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland). Gellar and Zhao are also on board as executive producers, alongside Dolly Parton, returning under her Sandollar banner.
The original series’ Gail Berman, Fran Kuzui, and Kaz Kuzui also return as EPs.
Where Can I Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is now streaming on Disney+.
Buffy stars Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Anthony Head (Rupert Giles), Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Seth Green (Oz), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Eliza Dushku (Faith), and James Marsters (Spike).
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